Jeremiah 34:15

15 "Although recently you had turned and 1done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had 2made a covenant before Me 3in the house which is called by My name.

Jeremiah 34:15 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 34:15

And ye were now turned
Or, "today indeed ye were turned" F18 some little time ago, indeed, it must be owned, that ye turned from the evil ways of your fathers, for which you were to be commended, as having acted a better part than they: and had done right in my sight;
what was acceptable to the Lord, approved of by him, being agreeably to his law; and it would have been well if they had continued so doing: in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour;
for a manservant, or maidservant, was his neighbour, and to be treated as such, and loved as himself, especially a Hebrew one, of the same nation and religion; and not to be used as a slave, or retained for ever in bondage: and ye made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my
name;
this circumstance is mentioned as an aggravation of the breach of the covenant they had made, to dismiss their servants according to law; it was made in a very solemn manner, in the presence of God, appealing to him as a witness; it was done in the temple, a sacred place, devoted to him and his worship; which was called by his name, the temple of the Lord, and where his name was called upon, and where were the symbols of his presence.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Mwyh Mta wbvtw) "jam, [vel] et quidem conversi fuistis hodie", Schmidt; "reversi quidem vos hodie", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Jeremiah 34:15 In-Context

13 "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying,
14 "At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.
15 "Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.
16 "Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants."'
17 "Therefore thus says the LORD , 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,' declares the LORD , 'to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Jeremiah 34:8
  • 2. 2 Kings 23:3; Nehemiah 10:29
  • 3. Jeremiah 7:10; Jeremiah 32:34

Footnotes 1

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